Marijuana ‘hash oil’ explosions on rise

Oct. 20, 2013

Updated Oct. 21, 2013 11:41 a.m.

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A recent explosion linked to the manufacturing of hash oil took place at a condominium complex in the 1700 block of Mitchell Avenue in Tustin. The damage from the explosion was limited to garages at the complex, but two men were seriously injured and they each face one felony count of manufacturing a controlled substance. KEN STEINHARDT, FILE: THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Crime scene investigators sweep up piles of marijuana at a Tustin apartment complex where two men suffered critical burn injuries after an marijuana involved explosion. Two men suffered critical burn injuries and were taken to a hospital, police said. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Two men suffered critical burn injuries after a marijuana involved explosion in an apartment complex in Tustin Friday morning, authorities said. ROSE PALMISANO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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xuxyx yxyxyxyx Remnants of marijuana is strewn outside a garage where two men suffered burns and other injuries after a propane tank reportedly exploded in an apartment complex in Tustin Friday. KEN STEINHARDT, FILE: THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Orange County Sheriff Bomb Squad Investigator Greg Jensen holds two components that can be used for honey oil extractor or a pipe bomb. Jensen says a pipe bomb is more or less an Improvise grenade, also a honey oil extractor looks like a pipe bomb and can explode just like one too. Authorities and medical staff have noticed a recent spike in the number of explosions involving the manufacturing of hash oil, a potent marijuana byproduct that is extracted with butane from parts of the plant that are often discarded. ED CRISOSTOMO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Orange County Sheriff Bomb Squad Investigator Greg Jensen shows components that can be used for honey oil extractor. Jensen says a honey oil extractor looks like a pipe bomb and can explode just like one too. Authorities and medical staff have noticed a recent spike in the number of explosions involving the manufacturing of hash oil, a potent marijuana byproduct that is extracted with butane from parts of the plant that are often discarded. ED CRISOSTOMO, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

A recent explosion linked to the manufacturing of hash oil took place at a condominium complex in the 1700 block of Mitchell Avenue in Tustin. The damage from the explosion was limited to garages at the complex, but two men were seriously injured and they each face one felony count of manufacturing a controlled substance.KEN STEINHARDT, FILE: THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Hash oil

The dangerous trend of extracting hash oil from marijuana buds has been around for years, but its popularity has grown in Orange County and across the country.

How it works:

The process of producing hash oil involves pouring butane into a pipe filled with marijuana. As the butane passes through the pipe, a honey-like solvent drips out and a heat source is used to separate the highly flammable butane.

Manufacturing

materials:

The materials used to produce the oil include a blender to chop marijuana leaves and stems into smaller pieces, butane gas to strip the THC from the marijuana, PVC piping that is capped off and a heat source to separate the butane.

How it's consumed:

The thick yellow-orange oil can be heated up and the smoke inhaled, mixed in with marijuana and smoked, or placed on a standard tobacco cigarette.

Did you know?

One gram of hash oil sells for $20 to $50. In comparison, a gram of cocaine sells for $40 to $90, a gram of methamphetamine sells for $70 to $80 and a gram of black tar heroin goes for $55 to $100, according to police.

A series of explosions in Orange County that have blown out garage doors, shattered walls and left people badly burned have been attributed to the manufacturing of hash oil.

The explosions are the result of home production of hash oil, a potent marijuana byproduct that is extracted with butane from the plant’s leaves, stems, and seeds, authorities said.

Lt. Paul Garaven of the Tustin Police Department said the do-it-yourself drug is gaining popularity because marijuana has about 15 percent THC, the main intoxicant in marijuana, and hash oil has a THC rating of 30 to 80 percent.

“By extracting and smoking the extracted THC, one can get a more potent dose than smoking only marijuana,” Garaven said, adding that one gram of hash oil sells for $20 to $50. In comparison, a gram of cocaine sells for $40 to $90, a gram of methamphetamine sells for $70 to $80, and a gram of black tar heroin goes for $55 to $100, according to police.

A recent explosion linked to the manufacturing of hash oil, also known as honey oil, took place at a condominium complex in the 1700 block of Mitchell Avenue in Tustin. The damage from the explosion was limited to garages at the complex, but two men were badly hurt. Prosecutors charged Joseph Vincent Severino, 42, and Michael Jon Tyler, 43, with one felony count each of manufacturing a controlled substance. Both men have pleaded not guilty and are expected to be in court for a hearing Nov. 13.

One of the men injured in the explosion suffered “pretty bad burns” and was treated at the Orange County Burn Center at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.

“His legs are completely burned all the way down to fat,” said Dr. Andrea Dunkelman, director at the Orange County Burn Center. “His hands are not as bad.”

Online lessons

Dunkelman said she has treated at least six patients this year who suffered severe injuries while making hash oil.

“We’ve seen quite a few lately,” Dunkelman said. “I’ve seen methamphetamine lab explosions, but this is the first year I’ve seen honey oil explosions.”

Some of her patients said they watched tutorial videos on YouTube and decided to try it, she said.

But attempting to make honey oil could have serious consequences.

The process of producing the oil involves pouring butane into a pipe filled with marijuana. As the butane passes through the pipe, a honey-like solvent drips out and a heat source is used to separate the highly flammable butane.

The result is a thick yellow-orange oil called hash oil, honey oil, butane honey oil or dabs.

But poor ventilation coupled with an open flame, a cigarette, or an electric switch can instantly ignite the fuel causing an explosion.

“We’ve seen people with first and second degree burns, singed hair and eyebrows,” said Sgt. Randy Sterett of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad. “We’ve seen windows blown out of houses and garage doors blown off into the driveway.”

The bomb squad has been called to investigate more than half a dozen THC-related explosions throughout Orange County in the last 18 months.

When “the science is right,” the igniting can cause an explosion, said Greg Jensen, a bomb technician with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Building evacuated

In Anaheim alone, there have been at least two explosions from making hash oil this year:

An explosion rocked an apartment in late March, which prompted a building evacuation, displacement of four residents and the arrest of 23-year-old Stephen Toshiyuki. He has been charged with one count of manufacturing a controlled substance and one count of possession of an assault weapon, both felonies. He pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 21, court records show.

A garage door blew off and windows shattered in a single-story home in the 800 block of South Avocado Street April 18 from a hash oil explosion. There was no fire when police arrived, but witnesses reported the explosion occurred about two hours before the incident was reported to police. No injuries were reported and no arrests have been made, police said.

“We believe more incidents happen than we realize because they are not going to get reported,” Sterett said. “People who are injured in hash oil explosions are probably going to make up a story.”

Following the explosions, Anaheim police officers received information about the dangers of hash oil and the department’s drug recognition experts familiarized officers with the process of extracting honey oil, said Sgt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department.

Because hash oil explosions are increasing, the bomb squad shared a bulletin about the dangers of hash oil with law enforcement agencies in Orange County, which includes information on what to be on the look out for.

Hash oil extractors can be misidentified as pipe bomb, Sterett said, adding that they are both dangerous and should be reported.

“The more prevalent marijuana use is, the more likely someone is going to experiment with this,” Sterett said.

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